School and sports, especially soccer, are upon us and many parents are scrambling for new solutions to make this season better than the last, including me. However, my wife and I decided to be more proactive this year and also more restrictive with activities this soccer season. Why? First of all, the financial and time budgets are just ridiculous if we say yes to everything. Not only are we running around like crazy but our other resources can get depleted very quickly too {like our relationship time}. Second, we want relationship with our children and that is the challenge when we are busy. So I am sharing with you my list of the 6 smartest soccer parent habits for preseason soccer this fall.
Get ready for travel soccer
I know this sounds cliché but what I mean is to be more prepared in terms of snack and injury bags, travel bags, long-term planning for game schedules, and pre-planned travel meal bags and healthy alternatives. The GFT Pinterest page has a ton of great ideas on all of these!
There’s a big difference with this topic. For some, travel means just to the local games. Others will travel out of state up to 3-5 times per year to play games or tournaments. Do what’s best for you. Don’t think you have to be on these teams, especially at ages 10-12 years old. If your kid is really playing well and invited to top teams at age 14+ I think it will help.
Financially too much travel soccer can be draining, but most clubs offer scholarship for 1-2 players on each team. Hey, this is a business for the soccer clubs, so let it be a business for you too.
Plan conversation time in the car
Not only are cell phones super dangerous when driving but they epitomize what is wrong with many relationships today. Think about it – you are sitting less than 2 feet from someone you love and sacrifice for and you are [both] so busy talking and texting that you have no real conversation. This may seem extreme but think about it; I know a lot of us work from our phones but 40 minutes of drive and conversation time can do wonders.
Think your teenager doesn’t want to talk? Try telling him or her that you want to hear what they have to say and then REFUSE to say or do anything but drive and listen until you arrive at your destination.
Need some topics to get you going?
- Consider current soccer news of their favorite team
- Talk about plans for family fun after the game this weekend
- Suggest hosting an end-of-season party for the team and ask what your kid would like to do
- Ask for input on snacks as Snack Mom for the team
If you and your kid are always busy and exhausted, pack for some good rest time in the car. A simple pillow and blanket, ear plugs, cool air and adequate drive time will refresh almost anyone!
Pre-plan [& prepare] meals
Meal planning is one of the hottest topics out there – and for good reason. It saves families tons of time and money. It helps the family to grab healthier alternatives to junk food and reduces consumption of empty calories that don’t fuel the body.
One thing my wife does that I appreciate is after purchasing all the fruits and vegetables for the week. She immediately comes home and washes and slices everything and then stores the veggies in airtight containers and fruit in open ones. This makes the healthy snacking easier for us all [and more likely to happen] and a fresh, hot dinner easier to prepare.
Be consistent with routine, including rest
Adults and kids alike do better overall with routine. Especially when it comes to homework and bedtime. My wife uses a local blogger for easy and free printable for routines and more. This helps kids to know what to expect and when they should be moving on.
Identify the quality time
While you make the effort to be a more organized, cost-conscious, time-managing, involved parent, remember that kids are kids. They make mistakes and they need to be coached by you more than they need training by me. Coach them on what these things are that you are doing.
Identify the efforts big and small as mom’s [or dad’s] use of quality time. This helps them be more aware of what you are doing and hopefully facilitate more great relationship time for you both.
Recap on the 6 smartest soccer parent habits
Now that we’ve covered the 6 smartest soccer parent habits let’s put them to work. Also share this with your friends and teammates parents. From the response I’ve gotten from this post, they will thank you for it.
Also if you know someone wanting to sharpen up on their soccer skills get my online ball control courses. Self-paced, safe private platform, no ads, professionally filmed, 3 levels – The Basics, Advanced and Magic. You’ll learn from me explaining and demonstrating each lesson.
In the lessons I use 6 players who I never met until the day we filmed the course lessons. In each level I have 2 different players who I put through each lesson. The Basics has 2 players U9, The Advanced has 2 high school players and The Magic has 2 college players. You guys are going to love this! Plus you can get feedback from me anytime.
